Affirming spaces, low-barrier services: engagement of sexual and gender diverse youth experiencing homelessness in affirming drop-in centers

Introduction Up to 40% of youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) are sexual or gender diverse (SGD). Extant research suggests that SGD YEH have greater mental health needs and higher rates of violence victimization, yet their service use patterns remain largely unknown. This study examines service use among YEH by SGD status.Methods Participants were 227 YEH (SGD = 121, non-SGD = 111) recruited from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles, California from May 2017 to November 2018. Services assessed included counseling, basic needs, legal, education, safety, employment, and case management. Differences between SGD and non-SGD respondents were evaluated using Chi-Square tests and mean comparisons, with logistic regression adjusting for demographics, system involvement, and homelessness history.Results Bivariate analyses showed that SGD YEH were more likely than non–SGD YEH to use counseling (28.32% vs. 9.71%), basic needs (73.45% vs. 52.43%), legal (25.66% vs. 22.65%), education (33.63% vs. 10.68%), safety (30.97% vs. 10.68%), employment (30.97% vs. 10.68%), and case management (42.48% vs. 29.13%) services. Logistic regression analyses confirmed higher odds of service use among SGD YEH across all service types (e.g., basic needs: aOR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.31–4.46).Conclusion Although SGD YEH were more likely to use services than non-SGD YEH, overall utilization remained low. Findings highlight the need for SGD-affirming practices in homelessness service contexts and further research on service utilization patterns.